The Queen V. The jawathie Gunawardene

[TRIAL AT BAR]

1954 Present: Rose C. J., Gunasekara J.- and Pulle J.

THE QUEEN v. THEJAWATHIE GUNAWARDENE

Information No. 1 of 1954 exhibited in the Supreme Court by the Attorney-General

Informations-Power of Attorney-General to exhibit informations-Circumstances when informations may be presented-Criminal Procedure Code, s. 385.

Trial at Bar-Direction of Minister of Justice-Jurisdiction of Court to adjudicate upon its validity-" Disturbance of public feeling "-Test of its existence'- How far justiciable-Criminal Procedure Code-, s. 440A (2) and (2).

Information was exhibited by the Attorney-General against the defendant on August 5, 1954, charging her with criminal defamation in respect of a defamatory statement published on July 1, 1954, in a newspaper called " Trine ", concerning a person who had held high office in Government for many years in various capacities and who, on the day previous to the date of publication of the statement, had ceased to hold office as Minister of Finance and was Governor-General designate. The alleged libel was to the effect that the Governor-General designate had been engaged in swindl

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